“The Army had proposed something similar in 2012 but it involved extra expenditure since around 30,000 civilians will need to be hired to replace the soldiers posted as sahayaks in peace-time locations. The existing proposal is financially neutral, revolving around offsetting the costs involved from within the service,” said a MoD source.

It will take three to five years to implement the step, with the non-combatants being hired and permanently deployed in major peace stations like Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Lucknow, among others. “These civilians will get a monthly pay package just below soldiers. While lower ranks will share such assistants, Colonels and above will get at least one such non-combatant each,” he added.

As earlier reported by TOI, several parliamentary committees have held the sahayak system prevalent in the 12-lakh strong Army is “a shameful practice”, a vestige of the colonial era that “should have no place in Independent India”.

But the Army, which currently has around 41,000 officers, contends an officer gets a sahayak basically for upkeep of his uniform, weapons and other equipment, as also act as his radio operator and “buddy” during combat.

This was, once again, underlined by Army chief General Bipin Rawat earlier this month, who held that sahayaks are part of a “very important and good buddy system” in combat and operational situations.

This is certainly true. But some officers also grossly misuse their orderlies, getting them to do household work, walk the dogs and take kids to school. This is in blatant disregard of standing instructions that sahayaks should not be employed for “menial household work” because it adversely impacts their dignity and self-respect as combat soldiers.

“A sahayak is a comrade-in-arms to his officer, symbolising trust, respect, warmth, confidence and interdependence. But yes, there is some misuse in peace stations. So, it’s better to have non-combatants or stewards,” said a senior officer.